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Freitag, 28. Oktober 2016

I recently had a new idea for a knitting pattern - something modular again - I'm really into modular knits these days. Since I had just bought three skeins of beautiful Bilum yarn (link to their Etsy shop) at SwissWulleFestival, I wanted to use it for this idea. However, after a few repeats it became clear, that the pattern wouldn't show up as I wanted it to do. So I frogged it. This pattern clearly needed something with a longer color gradient.

I intend to do a different kind of cowl with this lovely yarn - probably something with texture (bobbles or similar). But not now!

However, I really wanted a cowl in blue to match a new winter jacket I just bought. And since I am currently (far) away from my stash and from most of my scarfs and cowls, I went to a department store and searched for something appropriate.
I ended up buying variegated lace yarn (Merino Extrafine 285 by Schachenmayr, Ravelry link to the yarn) and tried again. I am happier with the look of it now, because the construction is more visible than before ... but I guess it could even be better with a Zauberball or something similar. But I guess I will finish it nonetheless - it feels lovely to the touch and I hope it will keep me warm.

Sonntag, 16. Oktober 2016

Do you want a fun accessory that's perfect for autumn - here's the pattern for you: a scarf with an interesting graphic effect, that is great for variegated yarn. It is very easy to knit - basically garter stitch only - except for the stitches connecting one piece to another. Joined as you go, so no sewing pieces in the end. The only finishing techniques you need, is weaving in your ends.

As usual, I had some difficulties in finding a name for this scarf - so again I asked the members of knittingparadise.com for suggestions (here's the link to the thread), I loved some of the suggestions but in the end I decided to go for the bricks theme (suggested several times) - but I used a different language :) - "Bauklötze" is the German word for building bricks or toy bricks.

Pickup and knit stitches (from side): insert the right hand needle into the upper bump of the last stitch of the row (photos 1 and 2), and draw your yarn through the loop (photos 3 and 4)

Pick up and connect (with a bind-off row): When you've turned your piece insert the left hand needle from below into the front leg of the bind off stitch (photo 1), then - as if to k2tog - insert the left hand needle into the first stitch on the needle and into the leg of the bind off stitch (photo 2) and draw your yarn through both loops (photo 3). In the pattern this sequence will be called (k2tog-connect).

The picture on the right shows the general construction of this scarf. It consists of a number of blocks that in turn consists of 4 rectangles.

Each rectangle is 18 stitches wide and 12 garter stitch ridges high. For each block the rectangles are knit in the sequence A, B, C, D. The rectangles are connected to each other

either by picking up and knitting stitches from the side or top of the last rectangle

or by picking up and connecting with stitches from a bind-off.

Instructions

Block 1

Rectangle A

CO 18 (with knitted CO)

Knit 11 ridges of garter stitch (knit all stitches)

Last row: BO all except last stitch

Rectangle B

CO5 (with knitted CO)

Knit 6, pick up and knit 12 sts from the side of rectangle A (your piece should now look similar to photo 1)

Knit 11 ridges of garter stitch

Last row: BO all except last stitch

Rectangle C

Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle B, CO5 (with knitted CO) (your piece should now look similar to photo 2)

Knit 11 rigdes of garter stitch

Last row: BO all except last stitch

Rectangle D

Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle C, CO5 (with knitted CO) (your piece should now look similar to photo 3)

Row 1: k2tog-connect, k to end (connect your first row to the 12th stitch of rectangle A counted from the left hand edge of the piece, see photo 4)

Row 2: k all

Repeat rows 1 and 2 ten more times - after a few rows your piece should look similar to photo 4

Row 13: k2tog-connect, BO all except last stitch

Block 2

Rectangle A

Pick up and knit 17 stitches from rectangles D and C of the block below

Knit 11 ridges of garter stitch

Last row: BO all except last stitch

Rectangle B

CO5 (with knitted CO)

Knit 6, pick up and knit 12 from rectangle A
Row 1: k2tog-connect to BO of rectangle C of block below, k to end (start to connect right next to the last picked up stitch from rectangle A, i.e. don't leave a gap)
Row 2: k all

Repeat rows 1 and 2 ten more times

Last row: BO all except last stitch

Rectangle C = Rectangle C of block 1

Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle B, CO5 (with knitted CO)

Knit 11 rigdes of garter stitch

Last row: BO all except last stitch

Rectangle D = Rectangle D of block 1

Pick up and knit 12 stitches from the side of rectangle C, CO5 (with knitted CO) (your piece should now look similar to photo 3)

Row 1: k2tog-connect, k to end (connect your first row to the 12th stitch counted of rectangle A from the left hand side edge of the piece)

Mittwoch, 5. Oktober 2016

As the days get colder and greyer, knit yourself this lovely and colourful cowl. It is knitted flat and all in garter stitch. Due to its unique construction it brings out the best of your variegated yarn, e.g. your Zauberball or your Noro yarn. It is basically a variation of an entrelac pattern, but with blocks (squares and rectangles) of different sizes.

Join stitches at the edge - as in entrelac: k2tog of the following stitch with the next stich of the underlying rectangle/square. A similar method (but with an ssk instead of an k2tog) is shown in this YouTube video. I will call this stitch k2tog-join in the pattern.

Figure X shows the general construction of the cowl. It is knitted flat and connected in the end (i.e. after the last layer or connected while knitting the last layer).

Figure 1: General Construction

Figure 2 shows how the layers make up the cowl. Odd-numbered layers consist of rectangles: 3 rectangles that are 8 stitches wide and 8 ridges high, and 2 rectangles that are 16 stitches wide and 16 ridges high. Even-numbered layers consist of rectangles: 3 that are 16 stitches wide and 8 ridges high, and 2 that are 8 stitches wide and 16 ridges high.

Rectangles/squares from one layer are knitted at a 90 degree angle to the knitting direction of the layer below.

Figure 2: Layers

In even numbered layers, rectangle 1 connects to square 5 of the layer below, rectangle 2 uses stitches picked up from square 5 of the layer below as base and is connected at the side to square of of the layer below, rectangle 3 is based on picked up stitches from the side of square 4 of the layer below and is connected to square 3 of the layer below ... and so on.

In layer 3 and the following odd numbered layers, square 1 is based on stitches from the side of rectangle 5 of the layer below and connected at the side to rectangle 4 of the layer below, and so on. The last square of an odd numbered layer is based on the stitches from rectangle 1 of the layer below and not connected while knitting it.

Row 32: sl1, k14, k2tog-join (with last stitch from rectangle 1 of layer below), DO NOT TURN but go on in the same direction

Square 5

Row 1: pick up and knit 8 stitches from side of rectangle 1 of layer below

Rows 2-15: sl1, k7

DO NOT TURN but go on knitted CO of next layer

Repeat Layers 2 and 3 until the piece is roughly as long as you want it. Make sure to end with a layer 3.

﻿

Picture B: Illustrations for Last Layer

Last Layer

The last layer is basically the same as layer 2 with connections to the very first layer. This requires connecting the very first CO and connecting to the last knitted layer at the same time which can feel a bit awkward ... if you want to avoid this, you can just knit one more layer 2 and then sew the edges together.

However, here's how to do it without sewing.

Fold the scarf in a way so that the first layer faces the last layer with a gap about one layer wide (see photo 1 of picture B)

Rectangle 1

CO15 with knitted CO

With a third needle pick up 7 stitches from the CO of square 5 of the very first layer.

Rectangle 1 will not only be connected to the last layer but also to these stitches picked up from the first layer. See photo 2 in picture B.